A Year of Grief and Anger: Serbia Remembers Train Station Tragedy

Sun Nov 02 2025 13:54:57 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In the aftermath of the Novi Sad railway station disaster that claimed 16 lives, thousands gather to commemorate the victims, while a wave of protests continues against government negligence. The incident has sparked a renewed focus on corruption and accountability in Serbia.

One year after the tragic roof collapse at the Novi Sad railway station that killed 16 people, Serbia is still grappling with grief and anger. Commemorative events brought thousands together, while ongoing protests led by university students demand accountability from the government. As political tensions rise and investigations unfold, the incident remains a haunting reminder of the dangers of corruption and negligence.

A sea of people flowed along the roads leading up to Novi Sad railway station. They came in their tens of thousands to remember the 16 people who died there this time last year, on another unseasonably warm and sunny autumn day.

The victims were standing or sitting underneath a concrete canopy at the recently-renovated facility when it collapsed. The two youngest were just six years old, the oldest, 77.

Regular protests have rocked Serbia in the 12 months that have followed. But on Saturday morning, the huge crowd participated in an event that put the emphasis on quiet commemoration.

At 11:52 (10:52 GMT), the time of the disaster, they observed a silence for 16 minutes - one for each of the victims. Family members cried. One woman needed to be physically supported by men wearing the red berets of armed forces veterans.

After the silence, relatives laid flowers at the front of the station. The rubble of the collapsed canopy has been cleared away, but otherwise, the building appears to have remained untouched since the disaster. Twisted metal protruding from the walls and broken glass still offer evidence of the catastrophe.

Novi Sad station was supposed to be a symbol of Serbia's progress, under President Aleksandar Vučić's Progressive Party. The country's second city would be a key stop on the high-speed railway line whipping passengers from Belgrade to Budapest in less than three hours.

Vučić and Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban jointly opened the renovated facility in 2022. Its angular, Yugoslav-era form had been upgraded as part of the high-speed project. But now, after another renovation and the disaster that followed, the station stands as the prime example of everything that is wrong in Serbia.

Anti-government demonstrations are not exactly a novelty in Serbia, but the student-led anti-corruption protests have persisted. They are calling for fresh elections and plan to submit a list of independent, expert candidates to replace existing corrupt officials.

Political scientist Srdjan Cvijić believes the students have managed to pierce into the traditional electorate of the ruling party in a way that nobody previously managed to do. As the country grapples with the implications of this tragedy, the anger remains palpable among the youth and citizens of Serbia.